1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to hair dryers and hair dryer support devices and, more particularly, to an improved device for providing elevated and universally adjustable support of a conventional hand held hair dryer, thus freeing the user's hands.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hair dryers and other various types of hair drying devices are well known in the art. The purpose of such devices is invariably the same, to quickly and conveniently dry a user's hair after washing in a manner and style which is desirable to the user.
The earliest known type of hair drying devices is the overhead variety which is customarily found in beauty parlors. The advantages of these dryers include that they can be mounted in an elevated and overhead fashion above the user and that they provide a fairly strong current of heated air directly to the user's head. Among the drawbacks of such devices are their relatively high expense and large size which makes for difficult portability.
In recent years, portable hand held hair dryers have come into existence which are for the most part capable of generating the heated currents of air to dry the user's hair in the same fashion as provided by the earlier beauty parlor models. Due to their portable nature however, the more recent devices require the use of at least one of the user's hands during drying. This tends to be a detriment to those who prefer to have both hands remain free during drying in order to make full use of whatever hair care accessories are available, e.g., combs, brushes, sprays and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,313, issued to Gettleman, teaches a hands free portable hair dryer holder which is designed to hold a portable hair dryer while in use, allowing a person to use two free hands on the hair. The holder is attached to an end of a table or wall mounted and spring tensioned extendable arm by an adjustable portion. A barrel portion of the hair dryer within which the currents of air are heated and distributed is gripped by a pair of C-shaped laws and the jaws are lined with foam inserts to securably affix the hair dryer.
It is readily apparent upon reviewing the Gettleman patent that its disclosure teaches a number of undesirable and potentially unsafe features. The most notable problem with Gettleman relates to the foam lined C-shaped jaws which grip therebetween the barrel portion of the hair dryer. As is well known, this part of the hair dryer will become extremely hot even after a short period of use. Due to the nature of its relatively simplified design, the extreme heat generated by a conventional hand held hair dryer is intended to be conducted to the atmosphere surrounding the barrel to prevent overheating of the device. Many of these devices also include automatic shut-off features to prevent overheating.
Having reviewed the Gettleman disclosure closely, it is evident that no accommodations have been made for dissipating the inevitable heat created within the barrel portion during use. As is well known, the heat resistant capabilities of foam materials is very poor and it is more than likely that, having been exposed by contact to the heated barrel for any duration of time, the foam would melt or possibly ignite into flames.
A further inherent shortcoming of the Gettleman holding device has to do with the spring tensioned arm which does not appear to include any fixing or locking means to anchor the dryer in a desired position. As is further well known, spring tensioned arms are very responsive to any type of applied force and will most likely fold inwardly in response to such a force application. As can be easily envisioned, the current of heated air discharged from a hair dryer as taught in Gettleman will create a rearwardly directed thrust which will most likely result in the dryer and holder being pushed backwards against the wall mount.